


Scales as Blue as the Open Sky

by BiffElderberry



Series: Writing Rainbow Fics [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Western, Dragon Riders, Exciting People You Meet In Prison, Gen, building a crew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 12:03:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19905412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiffElderberry/pseuds/BiffElderberry
Summary: Legend had it that once upon a time humans had lived on a planet known as Earth. According to the stories, that time had been primitive. And worst of all in Anastacia's opinion, there had been no dragons.Then the dragons had come from the stars. Humans learned to live and work with the dragons, big and small, and taken to space. Now they were spread out among the stars and planets. Intermingled with their dragons as partners for life, even if some of the planets were more rural than others





	Scales as Blue as the Open Sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sholio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sholio/gifts).



> I don't know what to say about this except that it's like someone put Firefly, Leverage, and The Count De Monte Cristo in a blender and pushed puree. This fic is the goo scraped off the wall because they also forgot to put the lid on it. Also I don't know enough about The Count De Monte Cristo to say that so. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Legend had it that once upon a time, humans had lived on a planet known as Earth. According to the stories, that time had been primitive. And worst of all, in Anastacia's opinion, there had been no dragons.

Then the dragons had come from the stars. Humans learned to live and work with the dragons, big and small, and had taken to space. Now they were spread out among the stars and planets, intermingled with their dragons as partners for life. 

###  **1\. Anastacia G. Murray**

_ The wind raced through her hair as Blue Spirit dove. Around them, the roar of hundreds of fans cheering their favorites on filled the air, but Anastacia didn't hear it. She had been born for this. For the dragon races. _

_ She dug her knees into Blue Spirit's sides, yanking the reins towards the right, overtaking a green dragon as she raced towards the finish line. _

Anastacia awoke with a start.

She was not at the dragon races.

She was not with Blue Spirit.

This was reality. And it was grim.

She stared out the window at the growing planet in the distance. It was Nagantu, the prison work planet. Anastacia had been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for killing Fire Claw - a crime she did not commit.

In an instant, everything had been stripped away from her. She had been preparing for a race against Maury Rowse, the second-best dragon racer, and his dragon Fire Claw. According to the statistics, she even had a good chance of winning.

Then Fire Claw had been found dead in the stables, overdosed on sedatives. Everyone assumed that Anastacia had done it. That fact was confirmed when the empty vial of sedatives had been found in her saddlebags. She had been framed, convicted, and stripped of her dragon.

Blue Spirit now belonged to Maury- restitution for killing Fire Claw. And Anastacia would never race again. Even if she left Nagantu sound of mind and body, she would never be allowed to compete again.

She looked at the other prisoners around her. Many were repeat offenders, hollow looks on their faces as they saw Nagantu rising in the distance.

Anastacia only knew one thing. She would get her revenge. Even if it took her the rest of her life.

###  **2\. Theodosia Velma O'Byrne**

After the prison ship docked in Nagantu's port, the prisoners were lined up to be checked in. Anastacia found herself behind a girl much younger than herself. With their hands bound behind their backs, she had a view of the most exquisite bracelet wrapped around the girl's wrist. It was shaped like a dragon, it's eyes as red as rubies. It was so well sculpted that for a moment Anastacia thought it was a real dragon.

She continued to look around the space port. This might be her only chance to see the docks for the next 15 years- that is, unless she escaped. But when she escaped, she wouldn't have time for sightseeing.

There were several small ships docked there. Assumably they were there for the guards to shuttle to other worlds without having to wait for the massive prisoner transport ship.

"Where's the girl with the bracelet?" one of the guards asked, walking past the prisoners in front of them. "Don't think she'll miss it in here."

Anastacia looked down at the bracelet again, but was shocked to see that the bracelet was now gone. She swore, however, that she saw a tail of gold slither up the girl's sleeve.

"Theodosia Velma O'Byrne! Anastacia Gayle Murray!" the guard at the check-in station yelled. Anastacia and, surprisingly, the girl in front of her both stepped forward. "Cell 56 C.”

Two guards escorted them to their cell in silence. They unlocked their cuffs before slamming the door behind them.

"You're new around here," Theodosia said, turning to Anastacia as soon as the guards were gone.

"Yes?" Anastacia replied. She looked around the cell. It was as barren as she expected- two mattresses, a ratty blanket, a hole in the corner for relieving themselves. It wouldn't matter. She didn't plan to spend 15 years here.

Anastacia watched in amazement as a tiny dragon crawled out of Theodosia's shirt, down her arm. It wrapped itself around her wrist and held it's tail in its mouth, forming a complete circle. It lay still after that, a perfect imitation of a bracelet.

"Don't mind Pyrite," Theodosia said, lifting her arm to show off the dragon. "She's been with me awhile, but she doesn't bite. Unless someone tries to steal her. Are you used to having dragons around?"

"Yes," Anastacia replied, a lump in her throat. Looking at the little dragon made her miss Blue Spirit all the more. "I used to be a dragon racer before-" she trailed off, shivering. It still hurt, just thinking of everything she had lost.

"What'cha do to get here?" Theodosia said.

"I was accused of murdering a rival's dragon." She sat down on the edge of one of the mattresses. It sagged in a way that did not give her much hope in ever having a good night's sleep.

"Did you?"

"No!" Anastacia shouted. "I could have beaten him, fair and square. I would never have hurt Fire Claw."

"Hmm," Theodosia murmured, sitting on the mattress opposite. "And yet you're the one here doing the time for it. Innocent as the rest of us."

"I'm going to prove I'm innocent," Anastacia muttered.

"How ya gonna do that?" Theodosia chuckled. "You might have noticed, we're in the boonies. Can't even place a call off-planet. Even if you survive your sentence, your evidence will be long gone."

Anastacia was quiet. There wasn't much retort to be had. She knew all that. But still, she had to try. She had to get Blue Spirit back. She had to prove herself innocent.

"What are you in for?" she finally asked.

"Pickpocketing." Theodosia shrugged. "Third time too."

"I'm sorry," Anastacia replied. A third time at the same crime meant a life sentence. Theodosia would never leave.

"I'm not." Theodosia stood, walking to the cell door. She looked around quickly before setting her wrist down near the lock. "I am a pickpocket and I did the crime. Besides, I'm not going to be here for long."

Pyrite suddenly came alive, crawling off of Theodosia's wrist. She crawled across the bars towards the lock, examining it with her ruby red eyes.

"But it's your third strike-"

"I'm not going to be here for long. As soon as I can figure out how to get off-planet, I'll be gone."

"I thought no one had ever escaped Nagantu before." Anastacia perked up. If Theodosia had a plan, maybe she could convince her to take Anastacia with her. It was worth a shot.

Theodosia kept watch of the hallway while Pyrite examined the lock. The little dragon finally stuck its tail in the lock, twisting it. She concentrated for a minute before there was a click and the lock sprung open.

Theodosia quickly shut the door, waiting for Pyrite to lock it again.

"Listen, I want to get out of here too," Anastacia said in a hushed whisper as Pyrite crawled back onto Theodosia's wrist. "If you can get us to the port, I can pilot one of the ships off-planet."

"What do we do once we're off-planet?" Theodosia replied. "You're a first offender, you could lessen your sentence by turning me in after I escape."

"A lessened sentence won't do me much good," Anastacia replied. "Like you said, my evidence is going to be harder and harder to find every moment I'm here."

"So we'll go our separate ways once we get off-planet."

"Unless you want to help me," Anastasia offered. "I was thinking. I'll be an outlaw, no money to my name. I could use some help.”

"What are you thinking?"

"I can pilot, you can thief. I think we get ourselves a ship and a crew and do a little stealing." Anastasia shrugged. It was a gutsy plan. It would make clearing her name harder. But she knew, deep down, there was no hope of that. But she could still save Blue Spirit.

"Deal."

###  **3\. Knute Phillippi**

Anastacia and Theodosia landed on Vethea after their daring escape from Nagantu. It had gone well, but their little ship barely handled the journey. However, Theodosia had insisted on this world. After all, it was far enough from the more established planets in their solar system. There was little law here, just a greedy sheriff that would turn his head for the right price.

They managed to hawk their stolen ship for parts and gain a little cash. Between that and what Theodosia and Pyrite managed to pick up on the streets, they finally had enough to visit the shipyard.

"It's a fair vessel," Captain Thad Eden said, showing them the outside of the ship. It was shoddy at best, in Anastacia's opinion. It was also just barely outside their price range, but the cheapest ship there. They ducked through one of the hallways ducts from the interior air control that was hanging low.

"Why are you selling it, then?" Anastacia asked. She had examined the controls and was confident she could fly it - if it would hold together in space.

"My wife wants me to stay home," the captain shrugged.

"Dragonshit," Theodosia replied, fixing the captain with a stare. For being all of 5'1", Theodosia was intimidating. Anastacia had learned that early in their journey when she had pushed to stop by Oatera instead of Vethea.

The captain sighed, leading them deeper into the ship. The smell of dragon dung got stronger the deeper they went. It reminded Anastacia of the race track and the life that had been brutally taken from her.

"With the ship, you also get Knute."

"Knute?" Anastacia asked.

The captain grabbed a wrench from the floor and used it to bang on one of the nearby pipes.

"Knute, get out here, you scaley dragon fucker!" he yelled at the shadows in front of them.

Anastacia tried very hard not to react as a person stepped out of the shadows. It was hard to know where to look first - the patches of glittering scales that adored their skin, their long claw-like nails, their slit eyes. They looked to be half-dragon.

"Knute, this is Anastacia and Theodora," the captain said. "Knute has refused to vacate the ship. They come with it."

"I live here," Knute shrugged. As they spoke, Anastacia could see the split in their tongue.

"What was your job here, Knute?" Anastacia asked.

"Mechanic," Knute replied.

"Will you continue that role regardless of who's captain?" Anastacia asked.

"Of course," Knute replied. "As long as I can keep Balthazar." Knute motioned back to their quarters. There was a growl that Anastacia immediately recognized as a dragon’s growl. Sounded like a big one too.

"Okay," Anastacia agreed.

"Anything else?" Knute asked, fixing their unblinking gaze on the captain.

"You're dismissed," Thad replied. Knute slunk back into his quarters.

"They're not a bad mechanic," The captain told Anastacia. "They'll keep the ship in the air, but they gave the crew a fright."

"Why?"

"Look, I shouldn't be sharing this," the captain whispered, leading them on. "They have a record. Of course, who doesn't around here. But the rumor is that they got caught in one of those dragon brothels. That's why they look that way. They caught something off one of the beasts."

"Dragonshit," Anastacia replied. "I've seen that before, It's just tattoos and body mods."

"They've got a dragon back there with them, in their quarters. We could never get 'em to put the beast in the stables," The captain continued. "Seemed unnaturally close."

"Some people are just close with their dragons, doesn't mean anything." Anastacia shrugged as the captain led them back off the ship.

"Whatever you say," the captain shrugged. "It's up to you, just let me know what you decide."

"What do you think?" Anastacia asked Theodora as they walked away from the ship.

"It's a trash can with an engine," Theodora replied. "It'll fall apart as soon as we get it in space."

"It seems sound enough," Anastacia replied. "And it's the only thing we can afford."

"I can pickpockets a few more weeks, and I'm sure you can find a job doing something," Theodosia replied.

"Every moment we're here we're closer to getting caught," Anastacia argued. "We need to move again; soon enough we won't be able to grease the sheriff's palm enough to not get caught."

"Fine," Theodosia sighed. "Get the flying trash can."

Anastacia smiled, turning back towards the ship.

"And a bottle of air-freshener!" Theodosia called after her.

###  **4\. Absolom T. McClellan**

The transaction for the ship had been smooth enough. They were all set to head into space within the week. Knute had even made their presence known, coming out to join them for a few meals before declaring the two of them could not cook. But they had been around, not just lurking in the night around the ship engines.

"Anastacia," Theodosia called. Anastacia and Knute had been loading supplies that Theodosia had acquired - Anastacia did not ask how - when Theodora returned to the ship. "This is Absolom McCellum," she said as Anastacia approached the pair.

The first impression Anastacia had of Absolom was that he was tall, easily 6 foot, and broad-chested. She wasn't sure, but he might have been even taller than Knute, who was so far the tallest of their little crew. The second thing she noticed was the dragon curled upon his shoulder. It was bigger than Theodosia's, maybe about the size of a housecat. Its scales were a pale green color. It appeared to be sleeping.

"Howdy," Absolom greeted, shaking Anastacia's hand. "I hear you're looking for some help."

"We are," Anastacia replied. "What can you do?"

"General work," Absolom shrugged.

"He's also the best hitter I know," Theodosia replied. "I met him my first time on Nagantu. Saved my ass in a brawl."

"Couldn't let the little lady get beaten to a pulp." Absolom shrugged. "What are you doing that you'll be needing a hitter?"

"Long term work," Anastacia replied. "This and that as we can find the work. Has Theodosia explained our delicate situation?"

"She has," Absolom replied. "It don't bother me none. What'll the pay be like?"

"Not much to start out on," Anastacia replied. "But as we gain assets we'll split them evenly."

There was a sudden scuffle near the side of the ship. The three of them looked over to see three men heckling Knute. One of them pushed the mechanic, another grabbing at a bag of rations.

"I guess you get a tryout," Anastacia replied. "Care to handle that?"

"My pleasure," Absolom replied, rolling up his sleeves as he approached the men.

"He's too honorable," Anastacia muttered to Theodosia. "What was he in for the first time."

"Brawling," she replied.

Anastacia winced as Absolom picked up the first heckler by his collar, pulling him away from Knute. Absolom threw the man to the ground, decking the second one in a swift move as the other hecklers saw the fight start. The second fell to the ground with the force of the punch.

"He was part of an underground boxing ring," Theodosia replied. "Only sentenced to a month on Nagantu, but well you know how that sort of thing wrecks one's reputation.”

The first man was back up, distracting Absolom as the third snuck up behind him. Absolom's dragon turned towards the man, moving swiftly for a beast that appeared to be asleep a moment before. There was a hiss as the dragon spewed a green liquid at the man.

The man screamed, rubbing at the skin the liquid hit. He quickly turned red, blisters bubbling up where he couldn't get the liquid off fast enough.

The second man, seeing the first doubled over and the third writhing on the ground and clawing at his burning skin, turned and ran.

"He's good," Anastacia commented as Absolom dispatched the last man with a kick to the ass.

"What's your dragon's name?" Anastacia asked as Absolom returned to them.

"Morgenstern" Absolom replied. "He's fairly neat, mostly sleeps all the time. I swear he won't be a bother."

"Don't worry," Anastacia replied. "We're very pro-dragon here. Come on, let's find you a bunk on the ship."

  
  


###  **5\. Loretto Eveline Clayton**

They were almost ready to take off. Supplies had been loaded, enough that they would last a few days if they had to dodge the law, or if they had engine problems before they could make the next port. More importantly, they had enough to make it to Sauria, where Anastacia had been arrested and where Maury would have Blue Spirit.

Anastacia was doing a last check of the ship when she saw a woman on the port platform talking to one of the other ship captains. There was something about the woman that caught her eye. Maybe it was the heavy petticoats, rarely seen near a port as the abundant fabric posed a hazard on an airship. Maybe it was the amount of luggage she carried. Or maybe it was the flaming bird in a cage perilously perched on top of her luggage.

The ship captain the woman was talking to said something, pointing to Anastacia. The woman looked over, piercing Anastacia with a stern look. Anastacia decided maybe it was about time they got in the air.

As she made her last check, the woman approached.

"Anastacia Murray?" the woman asked, setting her case down. The phoenix in the cage gave a chirp as its perch swung with the move.

Anastacia hesitated. Phoenixes were rare and expensive pets. And those who kept them were not to be trifled with.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied.

"Loretto Clayton," the woman said enthusiastically, grabbing Anastacia's hand and shaking it. "Didn't you use to be a dragon racer? I saw you flying once, you were amazing. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I had a sudden career change," Anastacia replied, turning so that the entrance to the ship was at her back. Easy enough for her to slip into it should Loretto prove to be with the law. "I'm sorry, I'm behind schedule, we really have to get going." She took a step back towards the ship.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you!" Loretto said, following Anastacia onto the ship. Anastacia could see Theodosia standing in the hallway. Anastacia twisted and mouthed "Absolom" to her.

"I'm looking for a job," Loretto continued quickly. "I need to get off this rock."

"And what is a fancy lady like yourself looking for work on a rundown cargoship for?" Anastacia replied. "And not booking passage on a luxury liner?"

"Frankly, I don't have time to waste," Loretto replied, "and my reasons are my own. I'm willing to work for passage, and I'll take the next exit wherever you're going. I just have to get away."

"I don't like folk who won't tell me their motivation," Anastacia replied. "You can try the next ship, we're full."

"Do you have a doctor on board?" She asked.

"You sick?" Anastacia replied.

"No, but I'm good at healing," Loretto replied. "And Storm Flower is a phoenix. You know about their tears? And their properties?"

"Yes, I've heard rumors, which makes you all the more suspicious," Anastacia replied. Theodosia returned with Absolom, waiting in the hallway right outside the entrance. "Your ticket will cost you your motivation. Why are you here?"

"Fine," Loretto replied. "If I tell you my reasons, will you let me travel with you?"

"Perhaps," Anastacia replied, leaning against the wall.

"I was living in a small village outside of town. And you're right, I came from money, but I don't have any anymore. They took it when they branded me a witch."

"And are you?" Anastacia replied. It was certainly not what she was expecting. She had thought that maybe Loretto had killed her husband, or got caught cheating.

Loretto gave her a crooked smile. "Does it matter? Folk got it into their head when I helped heal an ailin' woman and now they want to burn me. So I want to leave."

"Theodosia, it seems we've hired a doctor," Anastacia said. "That's Absolom, you'll meet Knute later. Come on, let's get you settled so we can set out."

###  **+1 Maury Emery Rowse**

Anastacia pulled the ship smoothly into the port. It was all coming back to her. The last time she had been here, she and Blue Spirit had been on the racing route. They were being shipped off to another planet to a race there. Their first big race, and also their last.

"Where are we?" Theodosia yawned, walking into the cockpit and flopping down into the copilot chair. She took one look on the screen, reading the name of the port.

"No," she replied, jumping out of her chair. "Take us out of here."

"This is our first job," Anastacia replied, landing the ship. She had gotten fake docs for their ship back at Vethea. As far as the port authority knew, they were just a run of the mill cargo ship. They didn't need to know about the escaped convicts on board.

"When I agreed to this, you said we were just doing some honest thieving," Theodosia replied, crossing her arms over her chest. Pyrite crawled off her wrist and up onto her shoulder. The tiny dragon's hackles were raised, just like her owner’s. "This is revenge, isn't it?"

"It's a job," Anastacia replied, shrugging past Theodosia.

"No, it's a goddamn suicide mission," Theodosia called after her.

"Gather the crew," Anastacia said, not looking back.

Five minutes later, the five of them were gathered in the dining room.

"This is too big of a port," Theodosia said before Anastacia could even greet them. "We'll be recognized. You'll be recognized."

"Why are we here?" Absolom said. "I thought you were running away from jail, not towards it."

"I signed on for thieving, not sleuthing," Theodosia said, pleading with Anastacia. "Even if you found the evidence you needed to clear your name, you still broke out of Nagantu. That alone carries a sentence. You'll just end up back there, and you'll take the rest of us with you."

"This does not seem like the wisest course," Loretto agreed.

"Look, we're not here to clear my name," Anastacia sighed, taking a seat at the table with her crew. "And it's not about revenge either. We're here to steal something. When they convicted me for murdering Fire Claw, they gave Blue Spirit to Maury. We're here to get her back."

"That-" Theodosia started.

"How would you feel if it was Pyrite?" Anastacia interrupted. "Or Morgenstern or Balthazar or Storm Flower," she asked, staring each of her crew members in the eye as she said it. "Wouldn't you go to the end of the universe for your dragon? I feel like I'm missing a part of my soul and I'm just here to get her back."

"They'll know you'll come for her, though," Theodosia said gently. "It'll be so heavily guarded."

"I'm going after her," Anastacia said. "If you won't help me, that's fine, stay on the ship. If you get word I've been captured, then leave."

"How can we leave? You're the pilot," Knute muttered.

"What they mean is, we'll help," Theodosia sighed.

\-----

It was all going according to plan. Absolom had taken care of the guards, Theodosia and Pyrite had taken care of the locks. Knute and Balthazar were keeping watch from the top of a nearby building. It had all been so easy. Too easy.

Theodosia had tried to insist that Anastacia should stay on the ship, but Anastacia had not agreed. Instead, she slipped through the gates with them, towards the stables.

Her heart leapt as she saw the familiar sapphire scales of Blue Spirit in one of the stalls. For a moment she let herself be taken back to the good days. She knew she would never race again, but seeing Blue Spirit made her spirits soar.

"Hey, girl," Anastacia whispered.

The dragon keened in her stall as she heard Anastacia's voice. Blue Spirit reared back, spreading her wings in greeting.

Anastacia's spirits crashed as she saw the jagged scar on her Blue Spirit's wings.

"He clipped her!" Theodosia gasped. It was a cruel act, ensuring that Blue Spirit's racing career was over.

"Get Blue Spirit back to the ship," she said, pulling the phaser from her holster. "I'll catch up in a moment."

"You said this wasn't about revenge," Theodosia said, trying to block Anastacia from leaving the stable.

"It is now." Anastacia slipped past her.

She had to work quickly and quietly as she made her way to the main house. They hadn't been spotted yet, by some miracle, but she didn't hold hope that it would last long.

A tossed rock into a bush opposite her got the guards away from the door. She slipped into the main house, creeping up the stairs.

She had been to Maury's house once before. It had been a Dragon Racing Gala, and all riders had been expected to attend. It gave her a basic layout of the house, enough that she knew where the stairs were.

"I figured you would come back," Maury said as Anastacia walked into his study. She stared at him down the barrel of her phaser. But he didn't react to her weapon. "The minute you escaped, I knew you would come back to finish what you started."

"I didn't kill Fire Claw," Anastacia said. "But you did clip Blue Spirit. Why?"

"To make sure that you never fly her again," Maury replied simply.

"But where is the sense in that? Now you don't have a dragon to race," Anastacia reasoned. It didn’t make sense. None of it. Blue Spirit was a good racer, to ruin it like that - But she wasn’t here to understand his logic. This was revenge.

"Are you going to kill me?" Maury asked. "Do you really think you can?"

"You clipped Blue Spirit." Anastacia stepped closer, approaching his desk. "I would have taken her and left, but you clipped her, you asshole."

She stopped, her phaser pressed against Maury's forehead.

"Give me one good reason to not kill you."

There was a noise from the courtyard. Someone yelled something.

"I sounded the alarm when you came in," Maury smirked. "Your crew is getting rounded up right now, and you will be branded a murder."

"So be it," Anastacia said.

The sound of a phaser blasting rang in her ear. She heard Theodosia scream.

Maury laughed, as Anastacia looked towards the window. He reached up, knocking the phaser from her hand.

"Anastacia!" Absolom yelled. "We need you."

Anastacia didn't look as she ran from the study.

When she made it to the courtyard, Absolom was fending off two guards, Morgenstern flying and keeping another three at bay. Theodosia leaned heavily against Blue Spirit, blood pouring out of her thigh.

Anastacia picked up a fallen branch, using it to club one of the guards Morgenstern was fending off. She knocked a second over as Morgenstern spat acid at the third.

"One of the guard's had a phaser," Theodosia said as Anastacia got to her.

"Come on," Anastacia said, scrambling up onto Blue Spirit's back. She pulled Theodosia up behind her. "Hold on tight."

"But she can't fly," Theodosia said, wrapping her arms around Anastacia's waist.

"She can still run," Anastacia replied, squeezing Blue Spirit's sides with her knees.

Blue Spirit roared with joy as they ran through the courtyard.

"Knute, get Absolom and get back to the ship!" Anastacia yelled at the mechanic as they swooped into the courtyard. Anastacia looked back just long enough to see them pull Absolom onto the back of their dragon and take off.

\---

Knute and Absolom were already back to the ship as Anastacia, Theodosia, and Blue Spirit ran into the bay. They skidded to a stop.

"Knute, close the door. Absolom, get Theodosia to Loretto," Anastacia ordered as she slid off Blue Spirit’s back. She ran to the cockpit, afraid they were already too late. Every lawman in the town had seen them - two escaped convicts riding a famous stolen dragon down Main Street at two in the morning tended to draw attention. They would close down the port, trapping them here.

She threw the thrusters into gear, hearing the metal groan as it heated up.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon," she muttered as they slowly drifted away from the dock.

"Shit." The doors to the port were closing. Slowly. They could make it.

She threw the thrusters into high gear, feeding them more fuel. They sped up, drifting closer and closer to the gate. She could hear the port authority trying to raise her on the intercom, but she ignored it.

Finally, with a sputtering noise, the thrusters kicked in. They lurched forward, picking up speed as they raced to the closing gates. She could hear other ships powering up, the much smaller and faster lawman ships.

"I'm not giving up now," she snarled. She was sure they were leaving a giant scorch mark on the docks behind them, but she didn't care. They were moving faster now, almost to the gate.

There was a groan of metal on metal as the doors scraped against the side of the ship. Anastacia leaned forward, as if that would help them push through.

"Whoo!" she shouted as they broke free of the gate, still moving. Behind her, she could hear the gates slamming shut, trapping the sheriff’s ships in the port. It would take them at least two minutes to open the gate again, and she planned to be long gone by then.

She set a course back to Vethea and switched it to autopilot.

\---

"You have blood on you," Loretto said when Anastacia walked into the ship's infirmary.

"It's not mine," Anastacia clarified. Sure enough, she had a smattering of Theodosia's blood down her thigh. "How is she?"

"Theodosia or Blue Spirit?" Loretto asked, fixing Anastacia with a glare.

"Theodosia," Anastacia replied. The euphoria of a successful escape was wearing off and now all she wanted was sleep, but she had to make sure Theodosia was okay first.

"She's been shot," Loretto replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, I know, I was there," Anastacia replied tersely. "Can you do anything about it?"

"I've applied the last of my phoenix tears and bandaged it. She's resting now, but she'll recover. However, it will be a while before Storm Flower produces more, so for future reference, it's best to keep bullets outside of your crew's bodies."

"I know," Anastacia sighed, finally collapsing onto one of the infirmary bed. "I wasn't thinking."

"I just cleaned that," Loretto sighed, but didn't push for Anastacia to get up. "You need to start thinking. Next time it might not just be a bullet to the thigh. You have a crew, and they're counting on you. You have a responsibility to them."

"I will, it just got personal," Anastacia said. "Is there anything you can do for Blue Spirit?"

"Things may get personal again, but you have to rise above it," Loretto replied. "As for Blue Spirit..." She sighed. "There's not much I can do right now. In time we might find a way to give her her flight back, but she will never be a racing dragon again.

"But she is safe, and she is happy," Loretto said when Anastacia did not reply. "And now she is free."


End file.
